1. MESOPOTAMIA AND SUMER

2. MESOPOTAMIA
Mesopotamia is the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Also known as the Fertile Crescent due to an abundance of crops
There are three main areas:
Assyria , Akkad, and Sumer
The city-state of Babylon is also found in Mesopotamia

5. SUMER By 3000 BC independent city-states had been established
City-state = a city that has political and economic control over the surrounding countryside
The most prominent building was the ziggurat (a pyramid-shaped structure), the temple dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the city

7. Worked hard to please the gods
Rulers and Religion
Believed that gods and goddesses owned the cities
Polytheistic
Monotheistic = belief in one God
Polytheistic = belief in many gods
Worked hard to please the gods
Kingship was seen as divine, kings believed to get their power to rule from the gods and served as the gods’ chief representative

8. Society Society was patriarchal = dominated by men
Scribes also held very important positions
Few people could read and write, took years of schooling
Created a system of writing called cuneiform
Made wedge-shaped impressions on clay tablets and then baked them in the sun
Developed a math system based on the number 6
Hour divided into 60 min., circle into 360 degrees

10. EMPIRES OF MESOPOTAMIA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA

11. Akkadians Conquered the Sumerian city-states and northern Mesopotamia
Main king was Sargon I
Formed the world’s first empire
Adopted cuneiform and spread Sumerian culture

13. Babylonian Empire Main king was Hammurabi
Honored Sumerian gods and united all of Mesopotamia
He also instituted a legal system known as the Code of Hammurabi
Consisted of 282 laws based on eye for an eye

16. Hittites Located in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey)
They were the first to make iron
This benefited them because it made stronger weapons and tools

18. Assyrians
Due to frequent warfare the Assyrians created a fierce warrior society
Assyrian warfare also relied on terror
How did they treat the people they captured: tortured or killed them
Ruthlessly punished those who opposed them

20. Phoenicians Greatest achievement was the Phoenician alphabet
Developed one of the world’s first alphabets
Consisted of 22 letters, adopted by many through trade, foundation for modern English alphabet

23. Hebrews/Israelites Located in modern day Israel
Hebrews are ancestors of people called Jews
Founded the religion of Judaism
It was the first monotheistic religion
The Torah is the most sacred text
The Hebrew Bible is called the Old Testament in the Christian Bible
All Hebrews can be traced back to what ancestor, Abraham
Hebrews became known as the Children of Israel or Israelites

25. Hebrews/Israelites con’t
Some Israelites moved to Egypt where they eventually were made into slaves
A leader emerged named Moses
He demanded freedom of the Israelites
Exodus: journey in which Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt
Jews celebrate Passover to remember the Exodus

27. Hebrews/Israelites con’t
Teachings of Judaism
Monotheistic
Beliefs of justice and righteousness
Most important laws Ten Commandments
Mosaic Law guides many areas of Jewish law
Food prepared according to Mosaic law is called Kosher
Sacred text: Torah and the Hebrew Bible

28. Persians Located modern-day Iran
Established one of the largest empires of the ancient world
Built numerous roads, the longest one was named the Royal Road
World’s first long highway, 1,500 miles